Growing up with a dad who works in law enforcement, I often sit through dinner table conversations about the craziest cases he works on. Ears fixed on his passionate storytelling, I am exposed to things that ordinary people aren’t used to hearing on a daily basis. Although many of the investigations discussed there were probably too intense for my young mind to overhear at the age they did, I always felt safe knowing one thing; my dad catches bad guys and will always protect me. Living with someone who works for the government, I’ve developed an appreciation for people like my dad who spend their lives fighting for justice. I’ve learned that without the dedicated law enforcement that we are lucky enough to have, our country would fall apart. For some, however, it is hard to overlook the “bad apples” in the workforce and truly understand the necessity for law enforcement. By writing this article, I aim to provide insight into why our police force is so important.
To get a better understanding of the different legal teams that work together to keep our cities safe, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with some of Santa Clara County’s own employees. The first perspective I heard from was a cold case homicide investigator, Sheena Woodland. As an investigator Woodland’s job is to sort through unsolved criminal cases and gather evidence to bring to court. This includes conducting interviews with witnesses and or victims, sorting through files, looking at pictures, video footage, social media, bank statements, and even matching DNA samples. She specializes primarily in homicide cases although she has worked on many sexual assault cases as well. Sheena explained that out of the many sacrifices she makes for her job, the main one she makes is her own mental health. She noted that the hardest part about her job is disconnecting from it when she returns home each day. Many law enforcement officers share the sentiment that what they experience every day is hard to forget, and they often find themselves ruminating on a case or replaying the image of something terrible they have seen, over and over. While it can be easy for her to get her head sometimes, Sheena assured me that her job is ultimately rewarding as she feels that she is, “giving a voice to people who sometimes never had one.”
Next, I spoke with Sean Webby, the director of communications for the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office. We met over Zoom as his position allows him to reside in Chicago, doing most of his work remotely. A passionate and inspiring journalist, Webby radiated pride for the work he does, fully understanding the impact he makes on society. As a director of communications, he is essentially the voice of the district attorney’s office, tasked with providing an accurate and thorough understanding of what goes on in the office to the public. On a day-to-day basis, Sean creates press releases, manages interview requests from other journalism departments and newspapers, writes PSAs, and speaks with the District Attorney. He feels that it is important to bridge the gap between the public and law enforcement, working to humanize the district attorney’s office. With 20 years of background journalism experience under his belt, Webby also acknowledges the negative attitude law enforcement tends to have towards the press. He emphasized that his position is important for more district attorney offices to have, as most of the work he does is generally done by lawyers with little to no journalism experience in other counties. Before he was employed by the government, Webby worked as an employee for the Mercury News. All along he has strove to write “positive articles” that he believes will instill a sense of hope in those feeling like they are constantly surrounded by evil in the world. At his current position, Webby hopes to continue making a positive reputation for law enforcement as he understands that the more trust we give to government officials, the more effective they will be in our society.
Last but not least I met with Deputy District Attorney Marisa McKeowen. As Deputy District Attorney, McKeowen makes a lot more important decisions in the legal process. For those who are unfamiliar with the job title, a deputy district attorney is essentially a lawyer who works for the government. In order to get the job she has now, she earned a Juris Doctor Degree in Graduate School and passed the Bar exam. For the last 18 years, she has been serving at the DA’s office. In her office, she gets to decide what charges to press against a criminal and what kind of punishments they should receive. Marisa’s advice to anyone looking to go into the law enforcement field is to shadow a prosecutor for a day. She encourages youth to take advantage of all the opportunities they can and reach out to local government to get involved. It is important to “try on the outfit before you buy it,” she remarked, highlighting how working in law enforcement is not for everyone. McKeowen recalled the opportunity that first sparked her interest in working for the government, before becoming a Deputy District Attorney–an internship giving legal advice to prisoners. Upon asking her what she would say to those who want to defund the police, she responded by arguing that any law enforcement officer would be willing to risk their lives at any moment and die for people they have never met regardless of their race, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status. She feels that it takes a very special kind of person to dedicate their life to such a profession and the work done is vital to the wellbeing of America. Therefore, defunding law enforcement would be silly.
My conversations with professionals at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office have provided me with valuable insight into the critical roles law enforcement plays in our society. From cold case investigators to effective communicators with the public, each individual I spoke with emphasized their commitment to justice and community safety. Despite the challenges they face, including the toll on mental health and the public’s skepticism, their dedication doesn’t stop. Truly, it is essential to recognize the humanity behind the badge and to support the efforts that aim to protect our communities.